About Us

Who We Are

Springboard is a leading provider of before and after school programs for children at elementary and middle schools across the country. With a focus on academic skills, Springboard specializes in research-based programming that reinforces classroom learning with activities targeting social-emotional development, physical well-being and teamwork. Springboard’s before school, after school and summer programs are led by experienced educators in safe and nurturing environments. Springboard consistently delivers educational activities in a fun and engaging way while extending student learning into out-of-school-time.

As a socially conscious company, Springboard is committed to serving the needs of all students regardless of socioeconomic status. With strong programmatic and management capabilities, Springboard is able to successfully deliver our programs at schools with students from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Springboard is proud of the contribution their programs make in supporting strong communities and addressing achievement gaps in partner schools.

Springboard is registered as a Certified B Corporation, which places it as a leader in the global movement of people using business enterprises as a force for good.™ Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability while aspiring to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. More information regarding the B Corporation movement can be found at www.bcorporation.net

Springboard is primarily owned by Bridges Fund Management, which is a London-based private equity firm dedicated to using an impact-driven investment approach to create returns for both investors and society at-large. Bridges believes business and investment capital can help resolve social and environmental challenges. More information regarding Bridges can be found at www.bridgesfundmanagement.com

“ What I value most is the Springboard staff's efforts to be part of our community; they have worked with our teachers, support staff and administrators to align their program with our school's areas of focus and to support the work being done in our classrooms. ”

Leadership

Joseph Olchefske, CEO

Joseph Olchefske serves as Chief Executive Officer of Springboard Education in America. Joseph has been a leader in the educational community for over twenty years, holding significant executive positions in for-profit, non-profit and public sector educational institutions. He previously served as President of three different companies in the K-12 learning marketplace and as Managing Director of the School District Consulting Practice at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Joseph also served as Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools from 1998 to 2003; as SPS Superintendent, he served as the leader of a public-school system with 47,000 students, 100 schools, 4,500 teachers and an annual operating budget of $435 million. Joseph began his career at the investment firm Piper Jaffray, where he spent 12 years as an investment banker in the firm’s public finance department.

In addition to his other professional roles, Joseph serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education where he teaches graduate level courses focused on instructional leadership. He also served on the Board of the Education Industry Association (EIA) for seven years including two years as Chair of the EIA Board.

Joseph holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He has been married to his wonderful wife Judy for 31 years and they have one daughter, India, who also graduated from the University of Chicago and is now a professional ballerina in California.

Michael T Fay, COO

Michael T. Fay is the Chief Operating Officer and a member of the senior executive team. He leads over 400 field-based staff in 11 states and more than 100 schools. He brings to Springboard significant operational management experience and expertise.

Prior to joining Springboard, Michael held multi-state operational leadership roles at several major retailers, including Target and Lane Bryant. In these roles he was responsible for operations management and growth strategy, including launches and rapid business expansions.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Gwynedd Mercy College in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Post University in Connecticut.

In his current role, Michael leads Springboard’s field team and various in-office support teams. Using his operational experience, Michael is focused on connecting innovative and academically-based curriculum with effective business practices to create quality extended-day programs for school partners and students.

Sherman has over 20 years of experience in finance, holding leadership positions in organizations ranging from middle market to Fortune 500.

Sherman Carter, CFO

Sherman Carter is the Chief Financial Officer for Springboard and a member of the senior executive team. He has over 20 years of global experience in finance, holding leadership positions in organizations ranging from middle market to Fortune 500.

Prior to joining Springboard, he served as Head of FP&A at Visiant Health. He has also served as Director of Finance at Pearson Education and Director of Operations Analysis at Fresenius Medical Care. At Pearson he was responsible for budgeting and forecasting, accounting, as well as strategic modeling and analysis for the global services business supporting higher education and global schools (K -12).

Sherman Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts. He also holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Babson College.

In his current role, Sherman leads as a player/coach with accountability for all aspects of Finance and Human Resources and serves as a member of the senior leadership team responsible for driving strategy and profitable growth.

Kendley has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the education sector.

Kendley Davenport, CDO

With more than 30 years of leadership experience in building high-performance teams and developing innovative solutions, Mr. Davenport is an accomplished leader and strategist in the public education sector. His vision and expertise provide a strong basis for the growth and leadership that builds organizational success. Mr. Davenport has a proven track record of greatly enhancing organizations’ operational performance and leading dynamic teams with an emphasis on developing people, creating exceptional operating efficiencies, establishing a profitable growth culture, and driving innovation.

Davenport currently serves as Chief Development Officer responsible for Business Development, Marketing and Acquisition activities.

Prior to Springboard, Mr. Davenport was the CEO of Source4teachers/Mission One which was recognized as the 7th fastest growing U.S. Staffing Firms by Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) in 2016. Source4Teachers was the only company on the list serving the education industry. Additionally, during Mr. Davenport’s tenure as CEO, the company was recognized as one of Forbes Magazine’s Best Large Employers of 2017 as well as earned a place on Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing U.S. companies.

Prior to leading Source4Teachers, Kendley spent more than 20 years in the K-12 education space serving as Vice President and Senior Vice President for Sodexo Education. In that time, he was a key senior leader in the $3.2B Education Division and was fully responsible for all offer development and sales/marketing management in the U.S. While at Sodexo, he was responsible for negotiating highly complex multiyear contracts –some as much as $300 MM – and achieved a consistent development rate of 7+ percent.

Mr. Davenport is affiliated with and an active member of a variety of boards and charities including The National Association of School Boards, The Council of Urban Boards of Education, The American Association of School Administrators, The National Center for Research and Technology, and the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech to name a few.

Davenport attended Virginia Tech for his undergraduate studies, where he studied both Public Administration and Management in the Pamplin College of Business. He went on to receive his master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Management Team

Carmen Senter, Regional Director

Carmen Senter is the Regional Director for Springboard Education in America. In this role, she supervises field operations for several geographic areas and continues to advance our educational mission. She brings to Springboard 20 plus years of progressive education experience and a passion about opportunities Springboard can provide to its students.

Prior to being a Regional Director, Carmen served as an Area Director for Colorado and Utah. Under her leadership, Colorado nearly tripled in size all while maintaining close relationships with school partners. She also spent over a decade as the Head of School for a charter school specializing in students with unique learning styles. She is a visionary leader with a natural ability to win the respect of her staff and school stakeholders in every setting.

Rhondalyne Reed, Regional Director

Rhondalyne Reed is a Regional Director for Springboard. She brings a vast experience in Social Work and working with students and parents for more than 20 years. Prior to Springboard, Rhondalyne has management and education experience as a School Counselor, manager of multi-site child development centers and a CPS manager for state government.

Rhondalyne holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Southern University in Tennessee and a master’s degree in Social Work from University of Tennessee.

In her current role, Rhondalyne is responsible for oversight of the staff and all programming components of her assigned schools. Using her managerial experience and academic awareness, Rhondalyne trains and coaches the staff while still placing great emphasis on building parent relationships and delivering academically sound, student focused programming.

Jill Ashley, Director of Operations Support

Jill Ashley is the Director of Operations Support. Jill holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has several years of financial analysis experience in the computer and healthcare industries.

She started her career at Springboard in 2009 as the system administrator for the online enrollment system and provided telephone and email support to Springboard families. In 2015 Jill was promoted to Manager of Customer Care and was instrumental in the implementation of a new online enrollment and account management system, the Parent Portal. In her current role, Jill provides office support to the field leadership team. Both her business background and history with Springboard play an essential role in supporting field leadership and providing cohesiveness between the office and the field.

Tatiana Comparoni, Principal Financial Analyst

Tatiana Comparoni is the Principal Financial Analyst for Springboard. She has over 15 years of global experience in finance and accounting. She has significant experience creating financial models and providing financial consulting and strategic support to senior executive teams.

Prior to joining Springboard, she served as Senior FP&A at NC Pharma and CPFL Energy. She also worked as a Staff Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In these roles, she was responsible for managing, budgeting, forecasting, and preparing quarterly/monthly reports. She also supported senior management team and departments heads with in-depth analysis. She implemented business intelligence tools and dashboard reports.

Tatiana Comparoni holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Saint Judas University. She also holds a master’s degree in Corporate Finance from Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Area Directors

Nicole Baur, Senior AD – NJ & PA

Nicole Baur is the Senior Area Director of PA/NJ with 10+ years of management experience and 4+ years of multi-unit operational experience. Nicole is responsible for leading 40+ staff members at 11 schools in Central NJ and Eastern PA. Prior to joining Springboard, Nicole held leadership positions in several growing companies, including Target and Wawa, where her fast-paced leadership style and focus on shifting business priorities made her successful.

Nicole holds a bachelor’s of science in biology with a microbiology concentration from West Chester University.

In her current role, Nicole uses her prior leadership experience to support and challenge her staff to achieve operational excellence. She focuses on delivering outstanding service and support to the diverse families that utilize Springboard’s care.

Isreal Spain, AD – OH

Ashley Olt, AD – DC

Ashley Olt is an Area Director for programs in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining Springboard, Ashley served as a Master Teacher and culture coordinator in DC Public Charter Schools, specializing in bilingual education.

Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from The George Washington University in Washington, DC and a master’s degree in Education with a focus on Education Policy and Leadership from American University.

In her current role, Ashley is focused on bringing academically-driven curriculum with a focus on promoting social and emotional development to extended-day programs in DC and IL.

Kelly Kinnibrugh, AD – CO

Kelly Kinnibrugh is an Area Director in Colorado. Before becoming an area director, she taught English at the secondary level for 12 years and served as Blackboard Administrator for the Artesia Public School district in Artesia, NM. During that time, Kelly also ran the credit recovery program in the district and taught night school courses through an online platform. As Blackboard Administrator, she instructed students and staff using the LMS Blackboard, created curriculum for English III and IV through Blackboard, coauthored an end of course exam in English III for NM PED, and assisted with transferring curriculum to common core standards

She received her M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, TX.

Kelsey Aldrich, Area Director – CO

Kelsey Aldrich started at Springboard as a Program Manager and, due to great leadership skills, was promoted to Area Director. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Studies and Human Development from Abilene Christian University. Kelsey has worked in before and after school programs for four years, and is passionate about providing quality and educational programming to our students and families.

Tanise Dixon, AD – MA, NH & RI

Tanise Dixon is an Area Director in New England. She has 15 years with summer camps and 10 years experience in the Before and After School programs. Prior to coming on board with Springboard, she served as Program Director for the YMCA Before and After School Programs in Denver. She also serves on the board for the YMCA of the Rockies. Tanise has a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Management and a Master’s Degree in Organizational leadership.